A Villian's Cape
by KBJones
Summary: A bored Roxanne Ritchi decides to make a bet with her kidnapper.  If he wins, she'll scream for him.  If she wins, he doesn't call Metro Man.  Alternate ending: Roxanne goes as Megamind for Halloween.  Then gets kidnapped.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: **

**This fits in with my story **_**Megamind's Life with Roxanne**_**, but can stand on its own. **

**Don't sue me. I own nothing. **

"We meet again, Miss Ritchi," the villain Megamind paces slowly towards his favorite victim who is tied into her normal kidnapping chair. This time it is positioned on an unfamiliar rooftop in the heart of downtown Metro City.

"If you just give me the bag, I will wash it for you," answers Roxanne Ritchi, "It seriously reeks."

"I think you will find the bag merely the beginning of many unpleasantnesses awaiting you as victim of the Master of all Villainy." His face is mere inches from Roxanne's now. If she were desperate to escape she'd head-butt the alien on his giant blue forehead and send him sprawling. But since she'd still be tied up, that wouldn't gain her much and she doesn't really want to hurt him, since he's always so careful not to hurt her.

"Uh-huh." her arms are fastened securely behind her but her legs are free. Since she's wearing jeans, she draws her legs up onto the chair and sits indian-style, looking around her to see what he has in store for her this time. Unfortunately, today's evil inventions are covered by tarps and she can't make out what they are. "Okay, what have you got for me this time?" she asks, but then immediately interrupts him as an idea occurs to her, "Wait! Can I guess?" This might be fun.

"Your poor human mind cannot possibly predict the vicious terrors," his raises his hand like a claw grabbing something out of the air, "that await you today."

"You've been kidnapping me for more than 3 years. I think I've noticed a pattern." answers the damsel calmly.

"There is no pattern to my ee-vil," he objects.

"Scared to let me guess?" she continues, "Chicken?" she adds.

Megamind clenches his jaw. "You dare to challenge me, Miss Ritchi?"

She smiles, "Yes. In fact, I double-dare you!" This is going to be so much fun. She's so glad he kidnapped her today.

Megamind gives an exasperated sigh and rolls his eyes, "Fine. Guess, if you must."

"What are the stakes?" Roxanne asks.

"Stakes?"

"Yes. What do I get if I win?"

"Ee-vil does not hand out prizes to its hostages!" he stomps off, a short distance, his cape billowing in the wind.

"So, you're conceding defeat already?"

"Defeat? How can I be defeated when you're the one tied to the chair, Miss Ritchi?"

"Well, if you're not secure enough in your own villainy to accept my challenge..." she shrugs.

"What terms were you thinking of?" he asks quietly. He wonders if this might actually be fun.

"If you win, I'll be a good little victim for you. I'll even scream." She smiles. She knows how to pull his strings.

"You'll scream for me?" Roxanne never screams for Megamind, a source of frustration to the villain. She's really not a very good hostage, but always serves her purpose, drawing her goody-two-shoes boyfriend Metro Man right into Megamind's evil traps. But to hear her scream for him...

"But _when_ I win..." Two conflicting prizes are in her mind. As a reporter, her first thought is to demand an exclusive interview with the alien who, despite years of nearly weekly kidnapping, she still knows little about. But those years of being a victim, needing constant rescuing by Metro Man, have also left her with another fantasy.

She grins evilly at Megamind, who is surprised to find such an expression on his victim's face. A brief thought flickers across his impressive mind. If she were evil, what a villainess she would make! Could she be turned to the dark side? Mental images of her in skin-tight leather and spikes bring an appreciative smile to his face, which he quickly suppresses, forcing himself to scowl at her once more. That's something to think about for later, perhaps.

"I'm tired of having to have Metro Man swoop in and save me all the time. Just once, I'd like to be my own hero and take you back to prison myself. So, if I win, you _don't_ call Metro Man. Instead, you let me tie _you_ up and _I'll_ take you to jail instead."

Megamind swallows, "You want to tie me up? I think being in my company may be wearing off on you, Miss Ritchi. That sounds decidedly evil." He's next to her again, his green eyes locked with her blue ones, searching for a clue to her motivations. He notes how dilated her pupils are. Is she enjoying this? "Interesting. You _are_ a temptress." that last is a whisper, if only...

Roxanne breaks his gaze and shakes herself slightly. What is wrong with her? Staring into his eyes like that? His beautiful eyes... _Stop it_, she tells herself. Aloud she says, "No, I want to tie you up _and_ take you to jail. That would make me the _hero_, not the villain. Are you up for the challenge?"

"You're on!" he growls, spinning away to pace across the roof again, unable to stand still, "What terror-inspiring surprise have I in store for you and your meddlesome do-gooder today, Miss Ritchi?"

"Wait. Minion?"

"Yes Miss Ritchi?" The alien fish had been listening with interest to the conversation, but had thought better than to get involved.

"Do you know what he was planning for today."

"Oh, yes. I always help him with all his evil plans. He's particularly proud of today's-"

"Stop! Minion, do not tell her the plan. She has to guess." he lowers his voice, "No cheating, Miss Ritchi."

"No, of course not. I just wanted to make sure the contest was fair. Minion can judge it. Can't have the evil villain resorting to lies to cheat his way to victory." She smiles innocently.

"No, of course not." Drat!

"Hmmm..." she thinks through his last several evil plans and makes her guess, "You're going to hang me off the side of the building while you test the limits of Metro Man's invulnerability with a new weapon mounted on a giant scorpion robot."

Minion gasps. Megamind shrieks, "How did you guess that?"

She shrugs, "You've been leaning toward giant bug robots lately. You haven't done a scorpion yet and here it is November. That's Scorpio, right? We're up high, so you're going to threaten to drop me. Not that hard to guess."

Megamind's mouth is hanging open. He gains control of it again and asks, "What sort of weapon?"

"Does it matter? It won't work. He's _in-vul-ner-able_." she says slowly, "You'd have better luck trying to blow out the sun."

Sadly, he knows that is not as impossible as it sounds, but it is not something he has any desire to witness again. It's a tragedy he knows she's unaware of. So, he merely continues his banter. "If you can't guess, then I win, my dear Miss Ritchi."

"Oh, let's say..." She really has no clue and glances about, her eyes falling on Megamind's blue lightning bolt logo. "...lightning."

Minion stares at Roxanne with respect. Megamind says, "Miss Ritchi, you may be the least depressingly stupid woman on this entire planet."

"Thank you. Now, are you going to pay up?"

Megamind is a villain of his word. Half an hour later the invisible car stops a block from the nearest police station. Megamind climbs awkwardly out, followed by Roxanne. She had bound his hands tightly behind his back in the car, an experience Megamind found less unpleasant than he expected. Minion closes the invisible car door and drives away. He parks it unseen nearby to watch what happens.

Megamind starts to walk toward the police station. "Wait." orders Roxanne. He stops obediently and she walks around in front of him. She reaches up and unclasps his cape. "If I'm the hero, then I need a cape to wear, don't I?" She proceeds to drape his cape over her own shoulders.

"Shouldn't a hero's cape be white?" he asks her.

She shrugs, "I like black better."

Megamind runs an appreciative eye over Roxanne wearing his cape and thinks he's rather glad he lost this bet. He should definitely look into plans to turn her to evil. Wouldn't that break Metro Man's stupid heart?

"Start walking, spaceman," she orders.

She marches him down the sidewalk to the police station where several surprised officers take the villain into custody. When they ask her what happened, she merely smiles and says, "He lost a bet."

o 0 o 0 o 0 o

She removes the cape when she leaves the police station, carrying it draped over one arm. She carries it home, feeling that she's gained a unique souvenir from today's kidnapping. She tosses it carelessly over the back of her couch.

Later, dressed in her nightgown she returns to the living room to watch a movie before bed. The cape is still lying where she left it and, on a whim, she puts it back on and admires her reflection in the hall mirror. She wraps it around herself and spins cheerfully to make it fly out around her. She laughs at her own silliness and sweeps dramatically across the room to flop gracelessly onto the couch. It smells like him, she realizes and breathes in deeply, letting his scent fill her nose. It smells of leather and sweat and musk. She finds it surprisingly pleasant. She sighs to herself and turns her attention to her movie, which soon lulls her to sleep, still wrapped in the warm, soft folds of his cape. In her dreams, the cape turns into his arms and she explores the possibilities of being his captive in an entirely new sense, glad for once not to be rescued. She doesn't remember the guilty pleasure of her dreams in the morning, but enjoys them all through the night.

Outside Metro Man watches her through the window, wondering what it means.

o 0 o 0 o 0 o

Megamind is helping Roxanne pack up her apartment in preparation for moving to the lair after their fast approaching wedding. He walks into her bedroom, a place he has only rarely entered, and picks up a couple of boxes stacked on the bed. As he turns to carry them out of the room, something hanging on a hook on the back of the bedroom door, nearly hidden against the wall, catches his eye. One of his capes. That's strange, he doesn't remember leaving one here. He drapes it across the boxes and carries it all into the living room to add to the other boxes waiting to be taken downstairs.

"Roxanne, when did I leave this here?"

"Hmm?" she turns to see what he's talking about and her face turns red, "I forgot about that."

He cocks a quizzical eyebrow at her.

"That's the cape I took from you when I won that bet and got to take you to the police myself."

"You kept it? That was more than two years ago."

"Well, it was a souvenir." She was still blushing.

"Why does my old cape make you blush like that?" a suspicion occurs to him, "Why was it hanging in your bedroom?" a sly smile creeps onto his face.

"Because sometimes I'd...wear it. " she won't look him in the eye, but he sees that she's grinning.

"You'd wear my cape. Back when I was still a villain?" That is very interesting.

She nods, still not looking at him.

"Why?"

Finally she meets his eyes as she tries to explain, "I don't know. I liked the way I looked in it. The way it swirled around. The way it...smelled like you. It felt good. Warm and comforting. I'd wear it when I was feeling lonely at night. It helped me sleep."

"You were sleeping in my cape?" Even more interesting.

"Sometimes."

"Roxanne, did you have a crush on your abductor?"

"Maybe just a little." she concedes, "He was incredibly handsome, after all."

He laughs and carries the cape over to her and fastens it around her shoulders. Then he stands back to admire it, "My dear, you look stunning in black."

**Author's Note:**

**I swiped the line about being the least depressingly stupid woman on the planet from one of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy books. It wasn't an exact quote, but it came from Marvin talking about Trillian. **

**The second chapter is an alternate ending.  
**

**Oh, and review! It makes me feel warm and fuzzy. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Due to Popular Demand: An Alternate ending for **_**A Villain's Cape**_

**Okay, remember where I said that Megamind was surprised to find his cape in his bride-to-be's bedroom shortly before the wedding? Scratch that. Let's do something different. Roxanne has his cape, even sleeps with it sometimes. But not so much time has passed. Months rather than years. Let's see what happens...**

"Wayne, I am NOT wearing this costume!" shouts Roxanne into her cell phone.

"You'll look beautiful in it," argues Wayne Scott, a.k.a. Metro Man, her date for the Metro City Halloween Extravaganza.

"That's not the point! I will look like one of your empty-headed fangirls!" Roxanne was glaring at the offending costume that the conceited superhero had sent over. It was white and gold with a short skirt, tall boots, and matching cape. And Metro Man's logo on the front.

"We need to coordinate our costumes. It's expected. And you know they want me to appear in full Metro Man attire."

"Why can't you just go as a vampire or a zombie or something like a normal person?"

"That would hardly match my heroic image."

"I'm not wearing it!"

"Please, Roxie."

"No. I'll come up with something on my own. God! Sometimes your head is as big as Megamind's!" she punches the off button on her cell phone. She wishes she had been talking to him on a landline so she could have the satisfaction of really slamming down the phone. She clicks the tiny clamshell closed and fumes.

Now she has to figure out a costume. This will be a high-publicity party for all the elites of Metro City. She can't get away with just a set of kitty cat ears or a "This _is_ my costume." T-shirt. She has to come up with something good. Something on par with Metro Man's superhero costume.

Just then her eyes land on the spiked black cape she'd taken as a souvenir from Megamind months ago. Now, that's an idea. She'd have to do some shopping, but it should be perfect!

o 0 o 0 o 0 o

Roxanne stands in front of the full-length mirror in her bathroom, admiring her costume. A tight pair of black faux leather pants, tall hooker boots with 3-inch heels, a fitted T-shirt with Megamind's lightning bolt logo, and long evening gloves that reached past her elbows. She'd been disappointed not to be able to find spiked gloves, but these were a passable alternative and she _was_ wearing spiked heels. Megamind cape finished the look.

It still needs something, though. Something blue. She doesn't want to paint her face. There is no way to make her head look like Megamind's and she wouldn't want to. Besides, it seems a little insulting. Like a minstrel show with the white actors appearing in black face. Still, it needs some nod to Megamind's blue skin. Finally, inspiration strikes and she digs through her drawer to find a light blue ribbon, which she ties into her short hair. Perfect. Heavy Metal with just a touch of cute. She can't wait to see Wayne's face when he sees her.

As this thought runs through her mind, she hears a knock at her balcony door. That would be Wayne. She checks her appearance one last time in the mirror before fairly bouncing out to the balcony where the superhero is waiting.

Metro Man's jaw drops when he sees Roxanne. Something within him shouts that this is just _wrong_. Is she crazy? He can't go out with her dressed like _that_!

"What are you _wearing_?" he demands.

"You like?" she grins and spins for him, Megamind's cape flaring out around her. She's proud of her outfit and is pleased to think that she's captured Megamind's style in feminine form perfectly.

"No, I do _not_ like!" he shouts.

Her face falls.

"It's ridiculous. I will not go out in public with you dressed as _him_! What will people think?"

Her hands on her hips, she says, "They'll think that you actually have a sense of humor, Wayne. It's Halloween, lighten up! Besides, you said it had to go with your costume."

"That's why I sent you the Metro Girl costume!" he points into her apartment where the rejected costume is hanging on a hook.

"Ugh! And you thought I'd actually wear it! I have _some_ dignity."

"Says the woman wearing leather and spikes."

"Don't you like me in leather and spikes?" she pouts at him and looks up at him through her eyelashes.

"No!" He jumps back. That surprises her. What man doesn't like a woman in 3-inch heels and leather? Metro Man, apparently.

"What's wrong with you?" he demands, "Why would you dress like _him_? He's a villain!"

She rolls her eyes. "You're impossible, Wayne. It's Halloween. Have some fun. We look great together. The hero and the villainess." she holds the cloak up under her eyes and gives him her best mock-evil look.

He shudders.

"Fine." she stands her ground and glares up at the hero, her head barely reaching the level of his chest. "This is my costume. If you don't like it, tough. I'm not wearing that playboy bunny superhero costume and you can't make me."

"I could."

"You. Wouldn't. Dare."

Metro Man's expression shows clearly that he is considering that possibility, but in the end he gives in. "Fine." he agrees reluctantly.

Her face lights up with delight. "Yes!" she pumps her fist in the air, "The super villainess wins her first battle of wits with the superhero!" she teases.

"Are you going to be like this all night?" asks the stoic hero.

"Possibly." This was already turning out to be great fun, "Shall we go?"

"Yes, but let's take the elevator. I just can't bring myself to carry you, dressed like that. It just seems...wrong."

Roxanne giggles.

o 0 o 0 o 0 o

She is right. Everyone loves her costume. Despite Wayne's misgivings, no one thinks there is anything inappropriate in her choice and they actually find it clever and daring.

"Where did you even get one of his capes, Roxie?" asks the jealous hero. Though he'd seen the cape in her apartment before, she'd never mentioned it and he doesn't know how she'd acquired it. He could tell it was really Megamind's because he could detect the alien's scent still faintly on the fabric. He'd been disturbed to see her sleeping in it at times. He still wasn't sure what to make of that.

"I won it in a bet," answers Roxanne.

"You made a bet with Megamind?" he's astonished, "That's a very dangerous game to play, Roxie. He's not stable."

She rolls her eyes, "I'm not afraid of him. He's never hurt me."

"You shouldn't count on that. Mistakes can happen and I may not always be there to catch you."

"Of course you will."

She has absolute confidence in him, and that mollifies him somewhat. "What did you bet?"

"That's between me and Megamind. Don't worry, it wasn't anything I couldn't afford to lose. And I won." She grins at the memory. That was a fun kidnapping. "Now, are you going to ask me to dance?"

"No, I don't think I will."

_What a pill_, thinks Roxanne, irritated. "Fine. I'm going to go mingle and see if I can get any good quotes for the news. You go ahead and pout if you want." She walks off, her Megamind cape flaring out behind her. For such a big man, he really is such a child sometimes.

Wayne spends a miserable evening watching Roxanne work the crowd of costumed citizens. Why would she dress like Megamind but not like him? It doesn't make any sense to him. It's almost like she's pushing him away. She is always doing that. He's lost track of the number of times he's rescued her from the very villain she is impersonating tonight. You'd think all those rescues would win her, but she never lets him get close. Sure, she'll go with him to public events like this. It gets her into social functions she'd have no access to otherwise, and she uses that access to make contacts for work. But she rarely meets him for coffee or dinner. Never for a movie or something private. She genuinely likes him, he is sure of that, but she isn't interested in him. That puzzles him because, in his experience, all women are interested in him and even some men, though he doesn't encourage that sort of thing. But not Roxy. He suspects that she is using him for his connections and fame. She clearly isn't his and he doesn't know what to do to change that.

Suddenly, he decides he's tired of the party. He walks up to Roxanne and asks her if she's ready to go.

She's disappointed. "Not yet, Wayne. I still want to talk to the mayor, if I can, and a few other people."

"Would you mind if I left? I'm not feeling in the Halloween mood anymore."

She looks concerned for him, "Sure. I can walk home on my own," she answers. The party is only three blocks from her apartment, in a safe neighborhood, and she has her pepper spray in her pocket. The heels wouldn't help, but she could manage it just fine.

"If it gets too late, take a cab," the hero instructs her, "I wouldn't want anything to happen to you."

"I'll be fine." she answers, both touched by his concern and annoyed that he thought she couldn't take care of herself.

Assured of her safety, the hero flies away and Roxanne continues socializing. She hears plenty of interesting gossip and renews her contacts. Altogether, a very successful night.

It is late when she leaves, nearly eleven, and she considers Metro Man's advice to call a cab. However, before she can return to the party to call one, a robotic gorilla arm appears in front of her and she hears the hiss of a spray bottle. Then darkness.

o 0 o 0 o 0 o

"Minion, _what_ is she wearing?"

"I think she's dressed as you, sir."

"I don't wear still-etto boots."

"She's wearing your logo and that's one of your capes. She's definitely trying to look like you."

"But why would she do that?"

"It's Halloween, sir. I found her outside the big Metro City Halloween party. I think that's her costume."

"Uh..." says Roxanne as the effects of the knockout spray fade. For once, her head is unbagged and her eyes flutter as she awakes. She is tied to a chair, as usual. She is inside a dark room (probably an abandoned factory or warehouse), as usual. She is dressed in high boots, tight pants and a cape, not as usual. "Oh, no!" she gasps, "Not tonight," she groans.

Megamind paces around her, examining her costume. He likes it very much. "Miss Ritchi, I must say that this is a pleasant surprise. Have you finally decided to join me as my Evil Queen?"

"This looks bad, doesn't it?" she asks.

"Very, very bad," he agrees appreciatively, " Absolutely ee-vil, I'd say." His face is inches from her, "I like it. "

"I didn't wear this for you, Megamind."

He looks hurt, "Who did you wear it for, then?"

"Well, sort of, for Metro Man." She looks uncomfortable.

A look of disgust crosses both aliens faces, "You dressed as me for him? That's really, really disturbing on a number of levels." says Megamind.

"Eww! No! Ick!" protests Roxanne, "Not like that!" She starts to laugh, "You have a dirty mind, Megamind."

"It's a side effect of being ee-vil, Miss Ritchi. I'm confused as to why you'd be dressed as me for Metro Mahn, though. Why would he want to see you looking like me?"

"Oh, he wouldn't. He hated it. That was the whole point."

"Are you going to explain, or just sit there teasing the evil genius all night, Temptress?"

"Which would you prefer?"

"Careful what you wish for, wearing that, Miss Ritchi. You don't want me to forget myself."

She raises an eyebrow, unconsciously mimicking his familiar gesture. She decides to take pity on the confused villain. Besides, it really wouldn't be nice to tease him, dressed like this. Who knows what he'd start thinking. "Okay, okay. So, Wayne and I were going to the big Halloween party together. It's a costume party and the couples are supposed to wear costumes that go together. Only, of course, he couldn't wear a _normal_ Halloween costume. Not him. He has to appear as _Metro Mahn_." she says, rolling her eyes and, for once, pronouncing the hero's name exactly as Megamind generally does. "That left me with very few options for what I could wear. He sent me a costume, but I didn't like it. So, I put this together instead." She shrugs, as if that explained everything.

"What costume did he send you that was so objectionable?"

"He wanted me to go as Metro Girl." she said with disgust. The aliens exchanged confused glances, "It was white and gold with his logo and everything. I couldn't wear _that_!"

"Why not? Why wouldn't you want to dress like Metrocity's Golden Boy? Don't you love him?"

She rolls her eyes, "Everybody loves him, Megamind. But if I wore that costume I'd look like a brainless little fangirl just fawning all over him. "

"And so, it was better to dress like me?"

"Yes! You understand!" Roxanne was pleased she'd finally explained it.

"Er, ye- No, not at all."

She blows her bangs out from her eyes and tries again. "Okay, let's put it this way. If I gave in and wore his costume, I'd be a spineless little sycophant and he'd win. If I wore this, I'd be a strong, independent woman and I'd win."

"You dressed like me...to _beat_ Metro Mahn?"

"Yup," she smiled smugly, "And I won."

Megamind stared at her with his mouth open. "You, realize that you've completely ruined my evil plan for tonight, Miss Ritchi? I can't use you as a hostage dressed like _that_. And, from the sound of things, he might not even show up if I called him."

"Oh, he'd show up. He _always_ shows up. But, he'd probably kick your butt harder than usual, so I wouldn't recommend it."

"Miss Ritchi, In the future, would you _please_ try to refrain from picking a fight with your boyfriend before I kidnap you? It's extremely inconvenient and..." his eyes travel up and down her body, "distracting."

"To do that you'd have to warn me ahead of time when you planned to kidnap me," she observed. "And where would the fun be in that?"

He mutters something to himself that she can't quite make out. "Before I have Minion take you back, do you think you could do me one small favor, Miss Ritchi?"

"Maybe..."

"I have got to get a picture of you like that."

"No way! You'll use it to blackmail me."

"I will not. You have my word."

"Fine, but I want a copy."

"Of course." he answered as he unties her.

"And don't you _dare_ send one to Metro Man."

"Miss Ritchi, you ruin all my evil plans."

o 0 o 0 o 0 o

After Minion leaves with Miss Ritchi, Megamind is left to begin packing up. He notices something on the floor near Miss Ritchi's chair. A blue hair ribbon. He picks it up and slips it into his pocket.

o 0 o 0 o 0 o

A week later Roxanne walks out to her balcony to find a package wrapped in plain black paper. She opens it to find a silver framed photograph of her in her villainess costume draped across Megamind's high-backed leather chair, his control panel with all its lights and dials is in the background. Minion is standing to one side of the chair, Megamind on the other, and a brainbot is sitting in her lap. It's perfect. She takes it back into the apartment and puts it on the dresser in her bedroom, where nobody but her will ever see it. She knows Wayne would _never_ understand.

**Reviews make me happy.**

**I've inspired artists to draw Roxie in costume from this chapter. I think that is so cool. Here ya go (you'll have to piece the url back together, of course): **

**Dragon's Lover1:  
h t t p : / / dragonslover1 . deviantart . com/gallery/#/d3dib8t**

**Phenixia:**  
**h t t p : / / phenixia . deviantart . com/#/d3drp8i  
**


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